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Suzuki getting most out of his arm

Suzuki getting most out of his arm

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By Alan Eskew
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Special to MLB.com |

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Athletics catcher Kurt Suzuki threw a laser to second base, beating Rangers baserunner Ian Kinsler by several feet as Kinsler attempted to steal the base. Kinsler, however, danced around the tag and was ruled safe.

"He probably threw harder to second base in the first inning than I threw to home," A's pitcher Justin Duchscherer said.

There has never been a question about Suzuki's arm, but in Spring Training he is being tutored by A's bench coach Don Wakamatsu, a former catcher.

"I've always been able to throw, but I really haven't understood the mechanics of throwing," Suzuki said. "I really haven't understood how to get the most out of me, and ever since Don Wakamatsu arrived, from Day 1, he did pretty much a total makeover.

"I felt like I was good, but I knew I had to get better. He just gave me little tips on how to improve my positioning to get the best out of myself. I'm a work in progress right now. I feel like I'm getting better every day. I take a lot of pride in all my defense -- throwing out runners, receiving, blocking, handling pitchers.

"It's a funny thing. It's not how good your arm strength is. You have to have arm strength, but it's getting the most out of your arm and being quick. That's what we're really working on right now, is being quick on the transfer and not so much using my arm strength.

"In 162 games in a year, if you're using all your arm in every game you catch, you might not be able to last long. It is [about] being quicker and being accurate and not using all arm -- but using your lower half, and you get a good carry on the ball."

Suzuki said he is fortunate to have Wakamatsu and manager Bob Geren, another former catcher, working with him.

"That's years and years of information," Suzuki said. "It's just been awesome with all this information and learning. It's just the little things that I've been lucky enough to have the instruction."